Thank You Marylou and Fiftyshadesofgold could find themselves rematched at Keeneland after the 3-year-old fillies had a mismatch Saturday at Churchill.
Thank You Marylou, wearing blinkers for the first time, ran off to a 6 1/2-length triumph in the seven-furlong Dogwood Stakes, while Fiftyshadesofgold was fifth, beaten 10 lengths, as the 4-5 favorite.
Drayden Van Dyke, the top apprentice on the Southern California circuit and a leading candidate for an Eclipse Award, will be among the riders back at Kentucky Downs for the closing-day card Wednesday. Van Dyke, who went winless with his six mounts Sept. 6 at Kentucky Downs, is named on three mounts, all for trainer Tom Proctor.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The retirements of Palace Malice and Will Take Charge will leave the 3-year-olds as the strength of this year’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup field. On Monday, two members of the 3-year-old class put in their final workouts for Saturday’s Gold Cup at Belmont Park, where the winner’s share of $1 million and a fees-paid berth to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic will be at stake. Working minutes apart were V. E. Day and Tonalist.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Five of the six older horses entered in the Homecoming Classic on Saturday at Churchill Downs had their final workouts toward the $125,000 race over the weekend, including a half-mile breeze Sunday by the likely favorite, Departing, who went in 48.80 seconds.
Other preps were recorded Saturday by Perfect Title (five furlongs in 1:00.40), Carve (half-mile in 48.60), and Pick of the Litter (five furlongs in 1:00), and Sunday by Call Me George (half-mile in 49.60).
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine Oaks and Queen’s Plate winner Lexie Lou came up empty in the stretch of her graded stakes debut in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes on Sept. 14, but has come out of the race without issue, according to trainer Mark Casse.
“She’s fine,” he said. “We don’t really have a good explanation. I wish she had run better, but she’s fine.”
Casse hasn’t made a decision as to whether Lexie Lou will be given the rest of the year off or continue racing this season.
“I want to see how she trains,” he said. “We’ll see.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse said Conquest Tsunami would breeze on Monday at Churchill Downs and would be pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Breeders’ Futurity on dirt on Oct. 4 or the Grade 3, $250,000 Bourbon Stakes on turf on Oct. 5, both at Keeneland, with a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup as the long-term target.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Conquest Harlanate and Conquest Typhoon have already booked their tickets to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup with their victories in the Grade 2 Natalma and Grade 2 Summer stakes, respectively, and trainer Mark Casse said both would make one start around two turns before heading to California.
Both the Natalma and the Summer are run over one-turn miles on Woodbine’s turf course, while the Breeders’ Cup juvenile turf races will be contested around two turns at Santa Anita.
Topped by the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, Aqueduct will offer 24 stakes worth $4.9 million during its upcoming fall meet, which begins on Oct. 29 and runs through Dec. 31, the New York Racing Association announced over the weekend.
The stakes schedule virtually mirrors that of previous fall meets, with the exception of three new $100,000 stakes for New York-breds – the Notebook and Key Cents for 2-year-old sprinting males and females, respectively, on Nov. 16, and the Bay Ridge for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 31.
Santa Anita, in a change of plans, will not institute a house rule regarding whipping at its meeting that begins on Friday and will instead await the California Horse Racing Board vote on a proposed statewide rule at its monthly meeting Nov. 20, Tom Ludt, the president of Santa Anita, said in a letter sent late last week to Rick Baedeker, the executive director of the racing board.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After running second behind Trade Storm in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14, Kaigun will head to Keeneland for his next start to face Wise Dan for the third time this year in the Grade 1, $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile on Oct. 4.
Kaigun already has shipped to Kentucky, said trainer Mark Casse.
